


It is the Way of Things

by st_mick



Series: (Mis)Understandings [10]
Category: Doctor Who (2005), Torchwood
Genre: ...after sort of adopting Ianto Jones, Ianto Jones is a nummy treat, Ianto's hanging out in the vortex, Jack is figuring things out, M/M, The TARDIS goes for help
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-10
Updated: 2019-02-10
Packaged: 2019-10-25 10:49:57
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,144
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17723765
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/st_mick/pseuds/st_mick
Summary: The TARDIS has sort of eaten Ianto, so there's that.  She's holding him in the vortex until someone can teach him to manage his newly remembered abilities.  She also seeks out just that being, who comes aboard to help.  Jack realizes  his error and hopes to make things right.





	It is the Way of Things

Ianto had been writhing on the floor of the med bay, screaming.  He had managed to curl himself up against the far wall, and looked panicked when the Doctor and Jack tried to approach him.  He managed to calm himself, and then his hands dropped.  He looked relieved, as though whatever had been paining him had stopped.

He looked up, his face filled with awe.  “Jack.  Do you hear that?” he whispered.  He looked as though he was hearing the most beautiful sound in the universe.  Jack was worried he was having another break with reality.

Then a coral bulkhead seemed to grow from the wall, surrounding Ianto slowly and gently, but also so quickly Jack could not cross the room before Ianto was encased in it.  Jack fell to his knees before the newly formed bulkhead, touching it.  The Doctor was beside him, running his hand up and down the structure.

“Doctor,” Jack strove to keep his voice calm.  “Why did your TARDIS just eat my Ianto?”

The Doctor gave a wry chuckle in reply.  “She says to tell you he’s a nummy treat.”

“Doctor?” Jack’s voice was a shade less calm.

“What, you think the old girl doesn’t have a sense of humor?” the Doctor asked, looking at Jack. 

“Where the fuck is Ianto?” Jack yelled.  He sensed more than saw Owen holding Toshiko.

“He’s right here, and he’s fine, Jack,” the Doctor replied, patting the coral.  “She… oh.  Well.  That’s…”  He looked up, closing his eyes for a moment.  “We’re in flight.  She’s taking us to Alder.”

Jack’s eyes widened.  It was a rare occurrence that the TARDIS took it upon herself to fly without her pilot.  He vaguely wondered what was going on, but he couldn’t afford to get sidetracked.  He shook his head to clear it.  “Doctor, why has she… taken Ianto?”

The Doctor’s hand rubbed the back of his neck in the way that Jack had come to recognize as a sign of discomfort.  “Jack, he woke up with every psychic channel wide open and no knowledge of how to block any of the input he was being assaulted with.  You and I were shielded, and even we hurt him by the blank space in the room that he knew didn’t belong there.  He was in agony, and more importantly, he wasn’t going to be able to withstand it, for very long.  So she took him.  Shielded him.”

Jack nodded.  Then frowned.  “What aren’t you telling me?”

The Doctor sighed.  “Given what you know of Ianto’s origins, can you appreciate how the TARDIS might find him… appealing?”

“Appealing?”

“Same energy source, that sort of thing.”

“Well then why doesn’t she find me appealing?  I’m saturated with the stuff, too,” Jack asked, still feeling a bit hurt that she had run to the end of the universe to get away from him.

“Actually, she does, now,” the Doctor replied, surprising Jack.  “But you’ve found your footing, with this.  Ianto hasn’t, just yet.”

“What are you saying?”

“I think she has sort of adopted him,” the Doctor blurted.

The med bay was completely silent.  Jack just stared at him.

“Don’t look at me like that,” the Doctor said defensively after the silence had drawn out uncomfortably.  “All I can tell you is that she is holding him in the vortex, cooing at him, calling him a beautiful boy.”

Owen sniggered.  Tosh smacked him on the arm.

“Well he’s safe, isn’t he?” Owen asked, rubbing his arm.

“Safest place he could be,” the Doctor assured them.  “She is showing him how to shield himself.  I will check him out after I find out why she’s brought us here.”

With that, he bounded out of the med bay.  Jack pressed his face to the coral, begging the TARDIS to relay his thoughts to Ianto.  _Please_ , he projected to her, _I think you can see what’s in my heart.  Please don’t let him lose faith in me, just yet._

“Just so we’re clear,” Owen said into the silence a few moments later.  “The ship has eaten the Tea Boy so she can be his mummy?”

“Oi, a little respect, ya numpty,” Donna spoke up.  “You did catch the bit that if she hadn’t helped him, he wouldn’t have survived, right?”

Owen did not look anywhere near as abashed as would have suited Donna, but they were distracted when the Doctor returned, speaking to someone else.  When they came into view, it was clear why Ianto’s four year-old self had mistaken the being for an angel. 

Apparently a female, the Alderian was just shy of six feet tall, with long, silver hair that flowed down her back in soft waves.  Her skin was flawlessly smooth, pale, and an unusual enough shade of silvery alabaster that it was clear she could not be human.  Her features were angular, and yet there was a softness to her face that put everyone at ease.  Her eyes were a deep violet and bore a sharp contrast to her silver lashes and brows.  They were kind eyes, but sharp, seeming to take in everything they fell upon.

“So you know who Ianto Jones is?” the Doctor asked as they entered the med bay, sounding amazed.

“Oh, yes,” the Alderian answered, smiling.  “I remember him well.  It was I who was assigned to make initial contact with him, as a child.  It was such a sad thing, to perform the ritual of forgetting for him, but it was clearly not safe for him to begin learning, then.”  She looked very sad, for a moment.  “I regret that I did not observe for long enough to realize that the reaction would be what it was.  It was very difficult to leave him, there.”

“But your rules are clear.  You could have done no differently,” the Doctor sympathized.

“It is the way of things,” she agreed, but she surprised the Doctor when she added, “I did ask for a dispensation, to carry him off world, but it was denied.”  She shrugged, indicating that was that.  Then she frowned.  “It is so strange that you came, today.  His name is the next on my rota.  I was about to make arrangements to return to Earth.”

“Is it customary to wait twenty revolutions before returning?” the Doctor asked.

She nodded again.  “Yes, it is the way of things, when there is violence involved and the life of a charge might be endangered by training them as children.”

The Doctor nodded, then turned to the room.  “As you may have guessed, we have landed on Alder.  This is…” he turned to his guest.

“I am called A’nou’uk.  I have been assigned to teach Ianto Jones how to manage his abilities.”  She looked around the room.  Her eyes settled on Jack, who instinctively shored up his shielding.  She gave a gentle smile.  “My apologies, but shielding does not work on those around one of my charges, until my task is done.”

“You mean you just disregard shielding, until your task is done,” Jack amended, feeling off-balance and vulnerable. 

She lifted an eloquent shoulder.  “It is the way of things.  It is for his protection, as well as my own.”

“We understand,” the Doctor said, throwing a pointed look at Jack.  “We are happy you can help our friend.  He has had a difficult time.”

“Yes,” she replied thoughtfully, her gaze shifting from Jack to Toshiko to Owen.  “As have his friends.”  She bowed her head to each, acknowledging their pain and fear for their friend.  “Ianto Jones has much to adapt to.  But…” she inclined her head, closing her eyes.  She smiled.  “Yes.  He is more than able to do so.”

“Well, the TARDIS is shielding him,” the Doctor waved a hand towards the coral bulkhead that was so out of place in the otherwise inorganic med bay.  “When he woke, we believe all of his abilities were active, and he was in distress.”

“Yes, it was quite painful,” A’nou’uk replied, her expression abstract.  “There could have been extensive neurological damage, had she not stepped in.”

“I would like to examine him, if she allows it,” the Doctor said.  “Then you may speak with him.”

“That is acceptable.  It shall give me the opportunity to speak with your TARDIS and see how the time has been spent, thus far.”

“It’s only been a quarter of an hour,” Owen said.

Jack had a feeling he knew what A’nou’uk’s reply would be.

“For you, yes.  But from his perspective, he has been in the vortex for…” she cocked her head, as though trying to make a calculation, “two of your lunar cycles.”

“What?” Owen exclaimed.

A’nou’uk nodded.  “The TARDIS has had him in and out of the vortex, helping him to adapt to some of his new realities.”

“What about food?  And sleep?  And other… human necessities?” Toshiko asked.

“All that is needed has been provided,” A’nou’uk smiled.  She walked over to the bulkhead and touched the coral, seeming to become lost in thought, but more likely lost in conversation with the TARDIS.

“All right, Old Girl,” the Doctor said, kneeling by the bulkhead.  “I need to at least run a scan on him, to ease everyone’s concerns.  Will you let us see him?”

The coral retracted about halfway back towards the wall, leaving enough for A’nou’uk to continue her conversation.  Ianto was curled up on the floor, sleeping.  They were surprised to see that his hair had grown quite a bit, and he now had a full beard.

Owen was there in a flash, scanning Ianto even as the Doctor did the same.  Jack reached out and ran his hand through Ianto’s hair.  He had never seen it this long.  The younger man did not stir.  Jack frowned and looked up at the Doctor.

“She’s not taking any chances,” the Doctor answered the silent question.  “She wants A’nou’uk to work with him before she allows him to be around us, again.” 

Jack nodded.  He didn’t like it, but he understood.  He just wished he could speak with Ianto, sooner rather than later.  He needed to apologize.  He wanted to make things right.  He hoped that they could come to a better understanding, now that everything was so different.

Owen nodded to Jack, indicating that all of Ianto’s scans were normal.  Likewise, the Doctor gave a similar report.  “There was some damage when he woke up, but that has been long healed.  He is in good health, and all activity is within expected parameters,” he rattled off, watching his display screen.

A’nou’uk stepped back from the coral.  “It is time.  I shall join Ianto Jones, assess his abilities, and train him to control them.”  She turned to the Doctor.  Your TARDIS says she shall keep us in the vortex for this, so your wait shall be minimal.”

With that, she stepped around Jack and seated herself beside Ianto’s sleeping form.  The Doctor pulled Jack away as the coral grew around them, leaving the room much as it had been before A’nou’uk’s arrival.

After a while, Donna and Martha took Tosh and Owen to the kitchen for coffee or tea.  Jack was sat cross-legged on the floor with his right side to the coral, leaning against it.  He was canted to his right, so the right side of his chest was pressed against it, as was his right cheek.  He seemed to be barely holding himself together.

“Jack?” the Doctor asked, concerned.  He had never seen Jack so full of care and concern and genuine remorse.  He had heard snatches of the conversation, earlier.  Something about favoring someone named Gwen and not treating Ianto kindly.  “You love him,” he realized.

Jack closed his eyes and shook his head, not wanting to speak.

“No?” the Doctor was surprised.

“No, not no,” Jack quickly amended, in case Ianto could hear from his side of the coral.  “I just…” he turned to the coral and whispered, “I don’t want to say it to someone else before I say it to him.”

“And you weren’t willing to say it to him before you knew he was immortal?”

“I knew I’d lose him.  I figured, if I could hold him at a distance, it wouldn’t hurt as much, when the time came.”

“Well, that’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard,” the Doctor muttered.

Jack groaned.  “I know.  But you don’t understand.  After Estelle…  I may have gone a little crazy.  I was desperate for it not to happen, again.  And then Ianto… happened.” 

“We can’t help who we love.”

“But he thinks I love Gwen,” Jack shook his head.  “The Master…” he trailed off. 

The Doctor sighed.

“The Master killed him, during the year,” Jack continued.  Might as well say it, now.  Cat was already out of the bag, so to speak.  “Killed all of them, my team.  But it must have been an illusion, of some sort, or then Ianto would have been in the same predicament as me.”  Jack blanched when he saw the Doctor rubbing the back of his neck, again.  “Oh, Gods.  What?”

The Doctor sighed again.  “It was about ten months in.  And he became very agitated.  Said one of his freak’s toys had come back to life, too.  He called him the freak’s freak.  I swear, Jack, I didn’t know what he was talking about.  So often, it was difficult to tell whether he was in this reality or another one, altogether.  The only thing I could do was to ask Clive to be sure all of the Master’s special projects were thrown from the _Valiant_ , when time began to reset.”

Jack felt ill.  The Master had Ianto for at least two months, knowing he was another fixed point.  What had he done?  The same things that he had done to Jack?  As confirmation, maybe?  He groaned at the thought.  His only consolation was that Ianto did not remember the year.  He prayed that he never would. 

He let out a small, half-sob, half-cough before clearing his throat.  “I came back from the year, and I wanted to be with him, but I’d already seen him die.  And I knew he would die again, eventually.  So I tried to have it both ways.  To be close to him, but not let him get too close to me.”  He shook his head.  “I’m an idiot.”

“But why does he think you love Gwen?” the Doctor was baffled.

“Because everything I held back from him had to go somewhere.  So he got the sex and the sarcasm.  But she got the sweetness and the support.”  He hung his head.

“Oh, Jack.”

“How do I even begin to make this right?”

The Doctor blew out a breath.  “You explain.  You apologize.  You begin again.”

Jack nodded, realizing this really was the only choice.  The only thing worse than losing Ianto after a mere human’s lifetime was to know an immortal Ianto that he could not have.

“Jack, I have to ask,” the Doctor really was going to rub the hair off the back of his neck, at this rate.

“What?”

“Are you certain your feelings aren’t being influenced by his immortality?”

“You mean have I suddenly convinced myself that I love him, since finding out he’s not going to die on me?”

The Doctor shrugged.  “I wouldn’t put it quite that bluntly, but sure.  That is essentially what I’m asking.”

Jack nodded.  “I get how it may seem that way.  But I started falling for Ianto the first time he said, ‘That’s harassment, Sir.’  That’s why I was _so angry_ when we found Lisa.”  He sighed.  “And now so much has happened, between us.  It’s been this constant push-pull, because I’d want him close, but then I’d get terrified when he got close.”

The Doctor patted Jack on the shoulder.  “You’ll make it right, Jack.  You definitely have time on your side…” he trailed off as the coral began to shift, again. 

A’nou’uk stepped from the wall.  She looked down to see Jack and the Doctor sitting on the floor near where she had exited.  Her eyes fell on Jack.  “As part of supporting a charge new to their abilities, it is the way of things to also train someone to support the charge on an ongoing basis.  It is usually the lifemate for an adult charge.  Ianto Jones claims he has no lifemate, but your pheromones tell a different story, Javic Thane.”

The Doctor’s head snapped around to Jack, who had gone very still.  Some small part of Jack’s brain wondered if the Doctor was reacting to his birth name or the lifemate pheromonal thing.  “Ianto and I need to talk through some differences,” he said carefully.  “I… I made him think he was not important to me, and I regret that, and I want to fix it.  He’s not wrong to think that – right now – we are not lifemates.  But you are not wrong, either.”

“Jack?” the Doctor was raising an eyebrow.

“He’s the only person who has ever noticed my pheromones,” Jack said quietly. 

“And that didn’t tell you something?” the Doctor asked impatiently.

“I have buried more lovers than you can even imagine!” Jack exclaimed, and the Doctor leaned back at the pain in Jack’s tone.  “How much more unbearable would it be, to find and then lose a lifemate?”  He shook his head, swiping at the tears.  “I already said I was wrong, and stupid.”

A’nou’uk knelt down beside Jack and took his hand.  “The future stretches before you like a long, quicksilver road.  But your path is no longer a solitary one.  You will both likely have other lovers and possibly even other mates, through the aeons.  But only one lifemate.”

Jack shuddered at the thought of speaking of his life in units of billions.  He shook his head.  “You assume he will forgive me.”

“I need make no assumptions,” she smiled, and Jack looked at her, his eyes hopeful. 

“How long has it been?” the Doctor asked.

She inclined her head, then blinked.  “He has been gone for one revolution, now.”

The Doctor whistled.  “So you have been training him for about ten Earth months?”  He frowned.  This training normally took a great deal of time.  Then again, they had been in the vortex, without distractions.

“He has already been tapping into his abilities, using them intuitively, in small ways.  It has been a matter of educating him on what he is capable of, and then teaching him to shield and protect himself, control certain abilities, and tap into other abilities, at will.”  She smiled.  “He is a quick study.”  She gracefully rose to her feet and extended an elegant hand to Jack.  “Will you join us?”

Jack took her hand and, casting a smile at the Doctor, stepped into the narrow opening that had formed in the coral. 

Time to see Ianto.

***

**Author's Note:**

> I could be wrong, but I don't remember anyone else ever commenting on Jack's pheromones. So I'm making the fact that Ianto noticed them almost as soon as they met a sort of 51st century litmus test of compatibility that's kind of a big deal.
> 
> And I know most folks interpret the 51st century mores to be kind of free and easy, but in this AU, commitments and lifemates are not unheard of. Jack's aversion to the word "couple" and other attitudes simply stem from not wanting to get too close. It's his way of pushing Ianto away.
> 
> And I have freely pilfered "nummy treat" from some brilliant banter from Buffy the Vampire Slayer. But if ever there was a character this applied to (besides Xander and then later, Tara's brain), it's Ianto. Clearly, the TARDIS agrees.


End file.
